Fast and loud—how to create sonic booms and curious clouds

Growing up beneath the Concorde flight path, I learned early on that if you heard its characteristic roar overhead you had to look far towards the horizon to see it. If you were lucky, you would see Concorde first. You could ...

Dwarf galaxy caught ramming into a large spiral

Observations with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have revealed a massive cloud of multimillion-degree gas in a galaxy about 60 million light years from Earth. The hot gas cloud is likely caused by a collision between a ...

Galaxies fed by funnels of fuel

(Phys.org) —Computer simulations of galaxies growing over billions of years have revealed a likely scenario for how they feed: a cosmic version of swirly straws.

NASA investigates the 'FaINT' side of sonic booms

(Phys.org)—Sonic booms created by aircraft flying faster than the speed of sound certainly aren't known for being faint, but rather for their loud, make-you-jump startle effect for those who experience them. However, sonic ...

Chandra spots a mega-cluster of galaxies in the making

Astronomers using data from NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory and other telescopes have put together a detailed map of a rare collision between four galaxy clusters. Eventually all four clusters—each with a mass of at least ...

Signals from the ionosphere could improve tsunami forecasts

New research from the University of Washington shows that signals from the upper atmosphere could improve tsunami forecasting, and someday, help track ash plumes and other impacts after a volcanic eruption.

Doctor Who's trusty invention is anything but sci-fi

Television's favourite Time Lord could not exist without his trusty sonic screwdriver, as it's proved priceless in defeating Daleks and keeping the Tardis in check. Now Doctor Who's famous cure-all gadget could become a reality ...

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